A wide variety of electrical accessories and controls used in vehicles are operated with electrical switches. As one example, interior rearview mirror assemblies in vehicles now often incorporate map or reading lights or other accessories which are controlled by electrical switches. Typically, such switches operate by pushing an actuator or button causing the switch to move from a first position in which the light or other accessory is operated to a second position in which the light or other accessory is turned off. Various types of switches are useful in such assemblies including rocker-type or push/push switches. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,096 to Skogler et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,756 to Adams et al. disclose interior rearview mirror assemblies that each incorporate a pair of rocker type, single pole, double thrown switches for operating lights within the mirror assembly. More recently, push/push type electrical switches have been incorporated in rearview mirror assemblies as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,698 to Veldman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,245 to Desmond et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,742 to DeLine et al., and European Patent Application No. 615882 A2. The switches shown in DeLine et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,742 include actuating plungers extending downwardly through apertures in the rearview mirror housing. The plungers are adapted to be depressed to operate the switches and to extend farther outwardly away from the mirror assembly when the switch is in the “on” position.
While many prior known switches have operated adequately to control such vehicle accessories, each is a relatively expensive collection of numerous small parts which are difficult to assemble, are often misassembled and, consequently, fail to operate as desired. Because of the number of small pieces involved, the cost of each switch is relatively large. In addition to the cost and reliability issues for the switches themselves, the prior switches have been difficult and time consuming to assemble to the electrical circuits used in rearview mirrors, thereby adding to the overall cost of the assembly.
It was, therefore, desired to obtain an electrical switch useful in low to medium voltage/current/wattage applications such as in a vehicle for vehicle accessories and controls, or in a household appliance to control relays which control household current to electric motors or the like, which has fewer operational parts, is more reliable, has a longer lifespan than currently available switches, and is less expensive to manufacture and use.